Review of Sense and Sensibility (1995) by Rose A — 16 Aug 2011

5: There are perhaps 19 or so (+-5) films ever made in the history of the cinema that are better than this (or at least that I enjoy/appreciate more). It is the quintessential and incomparable Austen adaptation.

As with any true masterpiece, it only seems to get better and better with time, despite the fact that it started out at 5 stars (there are only about 40 pictures that currently reside in this exalted realm for me).

Happily, I don't look like my sister after watching it, but I definitely need to blow my nose each and every time. It's hard to imagine a more emotionally satisfying picture, with one or two exceptions that are also 5 star films.

What is perhaps most brilliant is that we're hit with everything when we least expect it. We don't even get to see what would arguably be the most potent scenes - the proposals - instead we simply observe one secondhand and have to imagine the other outright.

I cannot imagine better casting. Each and every character - down to the maids and manservants - is perfection itself. Hugh Laurie's performance is brilliant. Despite the fact that he has barely any screen time, he absolutely steals every scene he is in and leaves one with little doubt that we'll see much more of him in the future (as we have).

Winslet, Thompson, Rickman, Grant, etc are ideal. They each seem to exemplify their roles. I honestly can't tell them apart from my ideal versions of each of their respective characters. Ang Lee seems to have a magicians touch.

Everything should feel rushed given the amount of action/dialogue/etc that is crammed in, but instead it feels leisurely and restrained. We are given ample time to mull over all of the events - or at least he makes it seem as if we were - and the journey is one of beauty.

I really did try to find some way in which I could find fault with the film, but it is impossible. It just doesn't get any better (with 19 or so exceptions). I could probably watch this every day or at least every week and still not grow tired of it.

It needs to be released on Blu-Ray forthwith.